Consumer group files case vs telcos over 'vanishing loads'
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 07/02/2009 2:06 PM
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A consumer watchdog group has filed a class suit against the country's leading telecommunication firms, seeking redress for alleged consumer grievances such as vanishing cellular loads, illegal charges and service inefficiencies.
The Cellphone Owners and Users of the Philippines (COUP), which describes itself as a non-government organization, filed the case against Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Thursday morning.
The group is seeking the determination of all charges "illegally" collected and passed on to consumers, and a cease and desist order against the collection of charges for unsolicited messages, spam, interrupted or dropped calls, missed calls, and failed messages.
It also wants the NTC to issue appropriate rules on the reimbursement of such charges, and to monitor the telcos, enforce applicable sanctions against them, and suspend/revocate or cancel their licenses if needed.
COUP said they will also file a similar case against the telecom companies before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in the coming weeks.
They feel that the NTC has failed to carry out its mandate of regulating phone companies, but decided to file the case before the agency anyway because of the issue of jurisdiction.
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